_General Character of the Court--Of the buildings about the Palace_--Lord Macartney's _Account of his Introduction--Of the Celebration of the Emperor's Anniversary Festival--Of a Puppet-Shew--Comedy and Pantomime--Wrestling--Conjuring and Fire-Works--Reception and Entertainment of the Dutch Embassadors from a Manuscript Journal--Observations on the State of the Chinese Stage--Extraordinary Scene in one of their Dramas--Gross and indelicate Exhibitions--Sketch of_ Kien-Long's _Life and Character--Kills his Son by an unlucky Blow--conceives himself immortal--Influence of the Eunuchs at the Tartar Conquest--their present State and Offices--Emperor's Wife, Queens, and Concubines--How disposed of at his Death._ 191 CHAP. VI. Language.--Literature, and the fine Arts.--Sciences.--Mechanics, and Medicine. _Opinion of the Chinese Language being hieroglyphical erroneous.--Doctor Hager's mistakes.--Etymological Comparisons fallacious.--Examples of.--Nature of the Chinese written Character.--Difficulty and Ambiguity of.--Curious Mistake of an eminent Antiquarian.--Mode of acquiring the Character.--Oral Language.--Mantchoo Tartar Alphabet.--Chinese Literature.--Astronomy.--Chronology.--Cycle of sixty Years.--Geography.--Arithmetic.--Chemical Arts.--Cannon and Gunpowder.--Distillation.--Potteries.--Silk Manufactures.--Ivory.--Bamboo.--Paper.--Ink.--Printing.--Mechanics. --Music.--Painting.--Sculpture.--Architecture.--Hotel of the English Embassador in Pekin.--The Great Wall.--The Grand Canal.--Bridges.--Cemeteries.--Natural Philosophy.--Medicine.--Chinese Pharmacopoeia.--Quacks.--Contagious Fevers.--Small-pox.--Opthalmia. --Venereal Disease.--Midwifery.--Surgery.--Doctor Gregory's Opinion of their Medical Knowledge.--Sir William Jones's Opinion of their general Character._ 236 CHAP. VII. Government--Laws--Tenures of Land and Taxes--Revenues--Civil and Military Ranks, and Establishments.